Loving Arms
by Junigatsu84
Summary: Naruto has lived at Konoha's orphanage since his parents died. The only family he had was his "brother" Iruka and his caretaker. But when Iruka is adopted, Naruto finds comfort in the other children there. Multi pairs as brothers, friends, or lovers BxB
1. Chapter 1: Loving Arms were Pulled Away

"Naruto!"

Naruto's shoulders tensed and he scowled.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" the old woman scolded down the hall. He hated the woman's voice almost as much as the woman it belonged to. She yelled at him every chance she could. Her bony, wrinkled hand grabbed Naruto's shoulder and forced him to turn around and look at her.

The woman, named Mujihi-san, was in her 70's but, to Naruto, she seemed more like a 500-year-old hag. He often made a point of telling her this, which resulted in some sort of physical punishment.

"You too lazy to make your bed, or do you enjoy torturing me?"

"The second one," he responded.

She sneered at him, "People want children who clean up after themselves. No one wants a lazy smart aleck. You don't get that through that thick head of yours, you'll never be adopted." Naruto crossed his arms and glared at the stone-faced woman.

Naruto's punishment was 'minor' for his back talk and refusal to make his bed. He had to clean the boy's bathroom with a toothbrush. It was either that or he'd have to sit in time out for hours. Once when he chose that once, he did nothing but cry until Hashira came in. Being left alone with nothing to do but think about Mujihi's comments was the worse punishment he could think of.

"What's wrong with you? All the other children are so well behaved. They will surely get adopted soon enough."

"Oh, you're still here? What a surprise. I guess I'll have to deal with you until you're old enough to get kicked out."

Her words echoed in his mind, though she was not there. His vision warped from the tears he was trying to hold in but as Naruto scrubbed, his tears mixed with the soapy water on the floor. He heard the door open and quickly wiped his face on his sleeve. He didn't want Mujihi to see him cry but when he looked up, he saw Hashira standing there smiling with her hands on her hips. Hashira was one of the caretakers at Konoha's "Loving Arms" Orphanage but she was nothing like Mujihi. To Naruto, she had the only loving arms that he ever knew, aside from Iruka's that is.

"You sure have a way with Mujihi-san, don't you? What are you in for this time?" She paused and got down to look into Naruto's eyes. He turned away but that gave him away as much as his red, puffy eyes would have.

"Naruto-chan, have you been crying?"

"No, I wasn't!" She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't try the tough guy act. It won't work on me. Now what's wrong?" Naruto looked away, without answering. Hashira kneeled down.

"Was it something Mujihi-san said?" Naruto nodded. Hashira put her hand on his head and stroked his hair. He didn't want to talk about it, so he changed the subject.

"I miss Iruka." But that was an equally sad subject and he started crying again. Hashira wrapped her arms around the tiny child. Naruto nuzzled her as he wept. She wished with all her heart that she could save all the children there, especially Naruto, from the pain they had to face. He had it rougher than most kids, who learned to adapt to making friends and seeing them be adopted. Naruto could not adjust. He had been there since he was a baby, and in all that time only made one friend, Iruka. Although he was 14, over double Naruto's age, they were inseparable, until last month, when Iruka had been adopted. Iruka still visited frequently, but Naruto was alone. As a result, he changed drastically. He crawled into his shell and became more disagreeable. Hashira knew he was upset that Iruka had left, but she also felt that he was angry for not being adopted himself. She tried to help him, but on the playground, she was powerless and she knew it.

"Iruka will be here on Monday," she said in a soothing voice. Naruto took a deep breath and sighed.

"I know. I just wish he was here now." She ran her fingers through his hair.

"He will be soon enough." Naruto hoped "soon enough" would come quick. "Now, as for Mujihi-san, she won't bother you if you stay out of her way. Try to meet her halfway, and you may actually see a nice side to her. Now," she said as she pulled out two sponges, "shall we finish cleaning?"

About a half hour later, Naruto was finished cleaning the bathroom. He walked out to tell Mujihi that he was done. He glanced down each of the hallways first to make sure she wasn't around. When the coast was clear, he told Hashira. She wasn't supposed to help him when he got punished, and if Mujihi-san ever found out, she'd get in trouble. She flashed Naruto a smile as she ran down the hall. Naruto turned the opposite way and took his time walking to Mujihi's office, so she wouldn't question how he finished the chore so quickly. The sunlight poured through the windows along the hall. He looked into the light outside and knew Monday would come soon.

The weekend did pass by fairly quickly. Naruto avoided Mujihi by looking at old manga and drawing comics. In his comic, he was a superhero who had a talking fox (Naruto's favorite animal). In one chapter, he had to defeat his arch-nemesis, the Monstrous Mujihi, who had an evil plot to devour the city with her black hole mouth. Naruto wins, of course, and his fox, Kyuubi, eat Mujihi. Everyone in the city loved Naruto, and he became king. When Naruto showed it to Hashira, she laughed at his illustration of "The Monstrous Mujihi".

"I'm afraid I'll have to take this away, Naruto."

"What??"

"Just the pages with Mujihi-san in them. You would be in huge trouble if she ever found these."

Naruto was sulking, so she leaned in and whispered, "I'll keep these in my desk. I'll look at them when Mujihi-san yells at me and laugh. And you can ask me whenever you want to look at them." She smirked and Naruto grinned. It was nice knowing that she thought they were funny.

When Monday finally came, he awoke to Iruka's gentle shake. Naruto grumbled until he opened his eyes and saw his brother's bright eyes and warm smile. He bolted upright, threw the covers off, and leapt into Iruka's arms with such force; he nearly knocked Iruka to the ground.

"I'm glad to see you, too." Iruka wrapped his arms around his little brother.

"Good morning, niisan."

"Good morning, Naruto-chan. Still sleeping late, I see. Did you stay up late last night?"

"Yeah," Naruto pulled away and dug beneath the bed to grab the scrambled papers. "Because I was making this!" He handed Iruka his comic and, as his oniisan read it, Naruto anticipated Iruka's response. When Iruka finished reading, he looked at Naruto with pride.

"This is really good. Would you mind if we went to the library? I want to copy them."

"Really?" Naruto's eyes shone with joy. Iruka nodded. "So are we going to the library today?"

"Yes, but that isn't the only place…"

"Where else? Where else??"

"You'll find out when we get there." No sooner did Iruka say those words, Naruto jumped off the bed and five minutes later, he was dressed, his hair was combed, and his teeth brushed. Iruka didn't think it was possible for Naruto to be ready so fast. Iruka and Naruto went to the front desk and signed out.

As they walked out the front door, the summer's sun warmed their faces. Naruto slipped his hand into Iruka's own. Iruka glanced at his little brother. His hair was as bright as the day.

"We'll go to the library first," Iruka grinned, "little sunbeam."

Iruka made copies of the comic while Naruto looked at the manga section. They had more recent chapters in one of his favorite comics, One Piece. He grabbed a whole stack and brought them to the couch in the corner. Iruka sat down next to him with a book of his own. They read in a comfortable silence. Naruto stopped reading and leaned against Iruka, who draped his one arm over the boy's shoulders and messed his hair up with the other.

"I missed you, aniki."

"I missed you, too."

When they left the library, it was getting close to lunchtime. As Naruto walked alongside Iruka, he didn't recognize where they were going.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there…"

"We're going to the surprise place??? Where is it? What are we gonna do, nii-chan???"

Iruka burst out into laughter. "Relax. We're here." Naruto turned his head to see a ramen stand. Excitement bubbled in Naruto's stomach, or maybe it was just his hunger, thought Naruto, but he really did feel happy.

"My parents used to take me here every week," Iruka said, nostalgically. He stared at the sign, lost in a memory as Naruto stared at him. This place was really special to Iruka. This was his family's place to eat and he was taking Naruto there.

He thought, "I really am your brother." He gazed at the tall, tan figure before him in a state of awe and squeezed his hand. Iruka snapped out of his thoughts and saw Naruto beaming, "Let's go inside, nii-san."

Three bowls of ramen and two full bellies later, Iruka and Naruto walked along the street towards the playground.

"They just built this playground, you know. They've got a rock wall you can climb and some spiral slides," Iruka said.

"Will you go down them with me?"

"Of course."

"Will you chase me?"

"If you want me to."

"Okay. Then let's go!" Naruto shouted and pointed ahead. But when he saw all the other kids playing there, he dropped his arm and held Iruka's hand. "Can we go to the other one instead?"

"What?" Iruka was perplexed. "I thought you wanted to go here."

Naruto shook his head. "There is too many kids. They'll try to play with us and I don't want them to. I just wanna play with you."

Iruka nodded, somewhat dazed. "Alright." He led Naruto to the smaller playground. It was farther away but Naruto didn't care, as long as it was deserted, which it was. They had walked in a silence that differed from the nice one in the library. For Iruka, it was a troubled silence for he was tormented by Hashira's warning words she had said months before:

"Iruka, you should include some other kids when you play with Naruto. He's having a difficult time making friends." But Iruka had never included other kids when he lived at the orphanage. They all came and went. "Besides," he would think, "Naruto's the only one who really cares about me and I'm the only one who cares about him. It's fine just as it is, just the two of us."

But Iruka could see the consequences of his actions. Naruto isolated himself and completely depended on him. "He's suffering because I was so selfish," he thought, "Naruto… I am sorry. It's my fault you are alone. I'm a horrible brother…"

Naruto thought that Iruka was angry at him for refusing to play at the new playground. They finally arrived at the old playground. The wooden playground, though smaller than the other one and more worn, was perfect for Naruto. It was deserted and that lifted his spirits. The playground seemed like a private fortress just for them. Naruto tapped Iruka.

"Tag! You're it!" He ran and climbed the chain ladder. Iruka stood there staring at Naruto's receding back. He couldn't shake the guilt he felt for putting Naruto in the same lonely position he had been in. Iruka was Naruto's only family. They were not tied by blood but they had a deep bond. It was all that Naruto had.

Naruto reached the top and grinned. He looked back at Iruka. "Come on! Catch me if you can!" He stuck his tongue out. Iruka shook his head and tried to shake the feeling as well.

"Our time is precious. I will talk to him about making friends later." He ran after the little child who squealed and ran like crazy. His brother chased him over the rope bridge, up the wooden stairs, and down the slides until he finally caught him at the tower. Naruto quickly tagged him back, but Iruka slumped against the wall.

"Wait a minute, Naruto," he said, out of breath.

"What? You're tired already?"

"Sorry. I'm no good at catching foxes, even the little ones." He tickled Naruto's belly. Naruto giggled then hugged his aniki. Iruka's guilt came back and he knew that he had to talk to Naruto.

"Naruto. I need to talk to you."

"Okay." He sat down next to Iruka.

"Hashira tells me you haven't been playing with the other kids."

Naruto sulked. "I don't want to play with them." He started fiddling with the loose strings of his jeans.

"Don't you want to make friends?"

"I've got you."

"But you only see me once a week. Aren't you lonely?"

"I don't want to make any friends. I've got you and Hashira. I don't need anyone else." Naruto looked back at Iruka, smiling, as if trying to make him understand. "It's worth waiting the six days to see you for one."

Tears suddenly came to Iruka's eyes. School was starting next week and he knew that his free time would be limited. He couldn't spend the time with Naruto that he was now. "You've got to make friends, Naruto… You can't be alone there…"

"But I've got you, Iruka—"

"No, Naruto! I'm going to school next week." The tears rolled down his cheeks. "Our time together will be even shorter. I don't know how often I can visit or how long I'll be able to stay." Iruka's tears were just as unsettling as his words. To a child, seeing someone 'grown up' crying is always somewhat frightening. It made Naruto feel even more small and helpless than he already felt. He started sobbing.

"Iruka! Please don't leave me!" Iruka wrapped his arms around him.

He thought, "I keep making horrible mistakes. I keep hurting him! I wish I could be a better brother to you, Naruto." He held the shaking child and whispered, "I am sorry. I am so sorry." Iruka pressed his cheek against Naruto's hair. Neither of them had any words of comfort to share, so they cried until they couldn't cry anymore. Naruto stood up.

"Can you push me on the swing, please?"

Iruka nodded and they somberly walked to the swings. Naruto sat down and held the chains as Iruka pulled the swing back as far as he could before letting go.

When they returned to the orphanage, they saw Iruka's adoptive parents' car. They slowed their pace. Naruto squeezed his brother's hand. He didn't think he could cry anymore but when Iruka's mother said, "It's time to go, Iruka-chan," Naruto burst into tears. The woman looked at the poor child with sympathy but through Naruto's tears, her face seemed warped and evil. He felt like she was an evil witch along with everyone else that just wanted to make Naruto cry. He clung to Iruka and buried his face in his brother's shirt. A fear was welling up inside of Naruto. It was a fear of the darkness, an empty lonely darkness that seemed to have no end.

Iruka got down on his knees and held Naruto's shoulders. Gently he said, "Please look at me, Naruto." The child blinked away the tears so he could see his beloved brother and stifled his wails into whimpers.

"Naruto, it won't be long. Someone's going to adopt you and then we can be neighbors and see each other all the time—"

"I don't wanna be your neighbor! I wanna be your brother!" He was about to wail again but Iruka cut him off.

"Then wait for me," his firm tone silenced him, "I will adopt you one day and then I will be your father." Naruto's blue eyes shone at his words, "Until then, you have to be strong." Naruto nodded and Iruka wrapped his arms around him, feeling like he had aged 10 years in that one moment.

Iruka's promise didn't stop Naruto from crying after the car pulled away and it didn't stop Iruka from crying himself to sleep that night but it gave them hope. They had a light floating in that looming darkness.


	2. Chapter 2: Fixing a Hole

Iruka had been right about school; it consumed a lot of his time. He came when he could but his visits were no longer than an hour. His absence took a toll on Naruto. He acted out more and started to pick fights with older kids, fights he knew he couldn't win. He thought that if he were in trouble, maybe Iruka would somehow come to save him. But the only person who came was Hashira, who was becoming increasingly worried about Naruto's behavior. Everytime she dressed his wounds, she would try to console him, tell him to keep his hopes up, and to stay away from the older kids. Yet, the bruises continued to appear.

It wasn't that Naruto didn't try to be good. He just didn't have much patience with people ad the world in general. Hashira did her best to listen to Naruto when he needed to talk though she could not cure the empty feeling Iruka had left in his heart. But her presence did comfort him. She would listen to him when he got angry with someone, usually Mujihi. One day, he focused his anger on the mothers who put their kids in the orphanage.

"They are the worst kind of people! They just leave their babies so some stranger can pick them up! I hate them!"

Hashira was silent. She stood up and took Naruto's hand.

"Come with me, Naruto-chan." She led him to the nursery and told him to sit in the chair. She went into the room and picked up a baby and a warm bottle. When she came back out she handed Naruto the baby. The baby grunted.

Naruto was completely surprised. "Wha—?"

"Feed him." She showed him how to hold and feed the infant. Naruto awkwardly fed him.

"This baby was going to die." Naruto's eyes widened and he turned to Hashira. "This baby's mother," she continued, "was young and not ready to have a baby. She could have not had this baby at all. There is a thing called abortion and had the mother gone through with it, the baby you are holding would not be here today. She was selfless for giving this baby a chance to live and brave for giving this baby the opportunity to be in a stable and loving home."

Naruto felt guilty. He looked down at the baby for a long time and said nothing. When the bottle was empty, Hashira took it and before she picked the baby up to burp him, the tiny child looked up at Naruto. Their matching blue eyes met and the infant smiled.

When Hashira handed him back to Naruto, he asked, "What's his name?"

"He doesn't have one. His birthmother didn't want to name him. Giving someone a name creates a strong bond and she didn't want to make a connection and then break it." Naruto looked back at the nameless child. "Why don't you name him?" She asked.

"You want me to name him?" She nodded and Naruto was quiet. He tried to think of a good name.

"What do you think?" Hashira asked.

"Well… I want it to have something to do with foxes, or some cool kami from your stories." Hashira smiled and let Naruto think.

"Maybe Kyuubi? No, wait that was the bad fox, wasn't it? Then maybe…" Naruto looked into the infant's white face. It made him think of rice. "Maybe Inari?" He looked at Hashira, who was smiling. "Yeah! He was the god of rice! And he had foxes too! Yes! Inari!!" Naruto's face shone with pride.

"It's a good name, Naruto. Inari was the god of success and agriculture. It'll be a name he'll be proud of." They both looked at Inari who was gumming his fist.

"Your name's Inari, now," Naruto whispered. He looked up at Naruto with his big blue eyes. "I named you so we're brothers now, Inari." Hashira stood up.

"I've got to tend to the other babies. I'll be back in a little bit. If he starts to cry, rub his back; it'll sooth him."

Naruto didn't take his eyes off of the child. "Okay," he responded.

He began telling stories about the god he was named after. He talked to him until Hashira returned.

"Naruto, it's time for Inari's nap."

"I'll put him to sleep," he said, pulling his little brother closer to him.

"Naruto…"

"Please?" He pleaded.

Hashira sighed, "Do you know how to put him to sleep?"

"Yeah! I just rock him like this." Naruto started swinging Inari in his arms but Hashira laid her hand on his to stop him.

"Be gentle. Rock him but slowly, and sway with him." He did as she said. Hashira went back in the nursery and left the brothers alone. Naruto sang a lullaby to Inari, whose eyes were drooping.

By the time Hashira returned, the tiny baby was asleep and the hole Iruka's absence left in Naruto's heart had filled a little bit.


	3. Chapter 3: Taking it Like a Kitsune

Although Naruto's behavior was improving, later that week, some of the kids he had picked fights with before had caught up with him on the playground. The leader, Kidomaru, smirked menacingly at Naruto while the others surrounded him.

"You thought you were pretty tough shit last week didn't you? Calling me…what was it? An ugly arachnid?" He started laughing. Naruto scowled. "You don't even know what that is! But you were right on one thing. I can be a nasty little spider to a fly caught in my web." He looks to the other members that smile at him, all except for two, who stayed silent watching coldly. "And by the looks of things, you are caught in my web."

"I don't wanna fight you," Naruto said, trying to be stronger than he felt.

"Oh? Tired of getting the shit kicked out of you?"

"I'm just not gonna waste my time with you."

Kidomaru's smirk fell off. "Waste your time?" He shoved Naruto to the ground. "Trying to come off high and mighty?" He pulled Naruto up by his shirt. "You haven't got a thing to be proud of. So don't pull that little act with me 'cause I'll knock your teeth out, you brat!"

Naruto was shaking. "You're wrong!" Kidomaru punched Naruto in the gut. He fell down gasping and clutching his stomach. When he caught his breath, "I-I'm proud of my brothers!" Kidomaru was about to kick him when Naruto grabbed his foot and pulled. Kidomaru lost his balance and fell. Naruto got on top of his chest and started punching him. He didn't get more than two punches in before one of the others snagged him off of Kidomaru. Naruto felt the huge sweeping hands throw him off to the side. His body slammed against the ground. Naruto winced but got up quickly. He would be pulverized if he hesitated. The one who threw him, Jirobo, cracked his knuckles, but the twins, Sakon and Ukon, came running at Naruto.

"You're gonna die, brat!" Ukon yelled as he charged.

Naruto wasn't a fast thinker, thankfully though, he had good reflexes. They were too close to dodge, so he ducked down at the last second. Ukon flipped over the blonde's back. Sakon just laughed.

"Tripped by a fly? Who would have thought?"

"Shut up!" Ukon yelled.

Naruto got up and ran but he didn't get any farther than Juugo's arm. In a single swipe, Naruto was caught in Juugo's hold. He had to look at the gang. They were glaring at the kitsune who had defied them when he should have taken the hit. He had insulted their prideand he was going to be in for some serious hurting. Naruto was wriggling in Juugo's arms. He looked up at the kid holding him and was taken aback by the look on his face. It was an expression Naruto couldn't figure out. Juugo seemed pretty impassive for the most part, but he now had a look that seemed like understanding. Kimimaru was standing next to him looking at his brother. Juugo's grip loosened, and Naruto didn't hesitate to run for it.

"Get him!" Kidomaru shouted. Jirobo, Ukon, and Sukon chased after him. Kidomaru glared at Juugo. "Why did you let him go, you idiot?"

"My hands slipped. He's a pretty strong kid."

"You lying sack of shit—!"

Kimimaru stepped in front of Juugo and came face to face with Kidomaru. "You talk to my brother like that again and I'll break your face. Don't forget your place."

Kidomaru stared as Kimimaru added with a smirk, "You ugly arachnid."

Naruto ran to the middle of the playground where Mujihi was making her rounds, watching the children. She had seen the group messing around but didn't think anything of it. She had not seen Naruto in the scuffle but she saw him running and being tackled by Jirobo who was considerably larger than him. She was about to yell at them for playing too rough when she saw Ukon punch Naruto. Her fists clenched. She blew the whistle that hung around her neck. It grabbed their attention and Sakon froze his fist in midair. They got up to run away but the old woman knew how to get to a couple of punks.

"Don't try and run away from me! You spineless sacks of flesh! I know who you are, so come here and take it like men!" The boys froze and knew they were caught. In a few quick strides, she was standing next to Naruto. As he looked up at her, he was afraid. She had yelled at him before but he never heard her yell like this. She went from witch to demon in a split second. Her anger wasn't directed at him, but a thick cloud surrounded her voice and spread fear to all who heard her.

The kids stopped. They weren't about to be seen running away from the old woman in front of the entire playground. They still had their pride to worry about. She marched over to them, each step crushing the grass beneath her.

"I've seen some pretty rotten things in my life. You three," she yelled to Kidomaru and the others, "And the ones pulling the strings, are now among the slobs I've had the misfortune to come across." Everything about her was sharp like a knife: her words, her glare, even her breathing. "Three of you going after a kid half your size? You think that's fun? Or maybe it makes you feel empowered but what I see is only cowards with no backbone. Then… THEN you have the audacity to chase after him and beat him down if FRONT OF ME. It's nauseating. You WILL be coming to my office and I promise you, your punishment will justly fit your crime." She straightened her back and sneered at them as she looked down on them. "GOT THAT?!"

Sukon, never one to be out done, replied, "Yeah, we got it Granny." He smirked, "You're upset that you don't know what really goes on when you aren't looking. Whatever punishment we get, it's only the infestation of your own frustration."

He had somehow reached past the wall of fire and iron and hit her core. She didn't let on though. Not a soul in the world could see the tiny glint of guilt in her eyes but it was there. Mujihi was silent but had a cool composure about her. "Think you're big, huh? I believe there is a thing called Karma. I doubt your lack of scruples would allow you to even grasp the concept, but I can tell you, one day someone is going to come along and make you feel small. I personally hope it's him." She nodded her head in Naruto's direction.

Naruto stared until he heard someone running towards him. It was Hashira.

Hashira bent down and helped Naruto up. He could still stand, his gut hurt when he walked but he wasn't thinking about the pain. She led him away, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Mujihi's back. He felt confused about his own feelings toward her. She hated him. He knew she did, but why did she defend him? Naruto thought about it while they walked down he hall to the nurse's office. He concluded that Mujihi hated him, but hated those kids more. They also threatened her authority as a grown-up so she had to defend Naruto to defend her honor. "Yeah," he thought, "That must be it…"

Hashira opened the door to the nurse's office and sat him down on the chair next to the sink. She had been quiet the whole time. Naruto hadn't noticed at first but as Naruto sat in the chair, he felt the unspoken anger expressed in the silence. He would rather have her yell at him than endure her silence.

"Naruto. Do you remember promising me that you wouldn't get into any more fights?"

Naruto shrunk, "Yes…"

Hashira wouldn't meet his eyes as she checked his head for lumps. "Do you understand the meaning of a promise? Do you know how important that promise was to me?"

"But they started it. I—"

She cut him off in a harsh voice, "Don't give me that excuse!" Naruto lowered his head. Maybe he did prefer the silence.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I tried to stay away from them!" He was about to cry. Hashira never got mad, especially not at Naruto. He didn't ever want to disappoint her because she was the closest thing to a mother he had.

She put a hand to her head and took a deep breath. She met his eyes. Her voice was back to her normal, calm voice again when she said, "No. You shouldn't be sorry. I am the one who should be." She put her hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I know it wasn't your fault. I am just upset."

"At me?"

"No. At myself and at those boys." She took a washcloth off the shelf and ran it under hot water. She gently wiped the dirt off Naruto's face. "I'm upset that I can't protect you on the playground. I hate feeling like I can't do anything." Naruto had begun realizing that grown-ups have about as much control over life as kids do, which isn't much. "I shouldn't take it out on you. You didn't rile them up this time did you?"

Naruto shook his head. "But they were getting me for calling them names last week. But I told them I didn't wanna fight!"

"Unfortunately, you've made some enemies. They're probably going to try to come after you again. So, just try to stay in Mujihi's view. She's sure to be watching out for them now."

"What if they try to get me at night?"

"They're on the third floor. So, they would have to get through Suzume-san and me. And I'm pretty sure that they couldn't handle me. I'm as tough as it gets." She flexed her arm and growled, which made Naruto burst into laughter.

Once his scrapes were cleaned up, she led him back to the kids' bedroom. She talked to him along the way.

"You're an older brother now. You've got to set a good example for Inari. Now, this fight wasn't your fault, I know that, but it was the result of a bad choice you made before. So, just try to stay out of their way, and try not to rile any other kids up." Naruto nodded. None of the other kids had come in yet. Naruto was happy about having a moment with Hashira to himself. He dove in bed and quickly pulled the covers over his head. She smirked at the playful child.

"Where could Naruto be?" The blanket shook with his quiet laughter. She crept to the bed. "I guess it's time to go on a FOX HUNT!" She tickled Naruto and his cheerful giggles filled the room. She stopped and Naruto peaked his head out of the covers, anticipating another bout of tickling but Hashira leaned over, kissing his head instead.

"Get some rest, Naruto. When you wake up, we'll go see Inari, alright?"

"Okay." He wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her on the cheek. She wrapped hers around him to.

"Hey Hashira?"

"Yes?" She stood up as he laid down.

"Will Juugo and Kimimaru get in trouble too?"

"Yes. Mujihi will punish them as she sees fit."

"Can you tell her not to?"

Hashira was completely surprised by his question. "What? Why?"

"They didn't hurt me. And Juugo let me escape."

"Well, as nice as that was, they still watched their friends hurt you."

"But I think they might be good…" He looked down as he fiddled with the corner of the blanket. Hashira was amazed at how he could see the good in someone that was in the gang that beat him up.

"Well, I'm sure they won't hold anything against you. But I won't speak on their behalf. I cannot forgive them quite so easily. I don't have as kind a heart as you do."

"I think you have a very kind heart." He looked at her with tenderness as he said this.

"Thank you. You're sweet." She gave him another kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Naruto pulled the covers up to his chin and nuzzled the pillow.

Other children began coming in. Naruto's eyes were drooping. He heard Hashira whispering, "I love you," to the other children as she tucked them in. He fell asleep pretending that all of them were meant for him.


	4. Chapter 4: A Sweeter Side

Naruto woke up from his nap. He was on his side facing the boy who had shared his bed during naptime. Due to the shortage of beds, most of the kids had to share a bed with someone. Most paired up with their siblings or friends. Naruto used to sleep with Iruka, but since he left, he was one of the odd kids out. He slept wherever there was an open spot. So Naruto didn't really know the kid, nor did he care to. The boy usually ignored him anyway. He turned on his belly and faced the wall at the head of the bed. He couldn't look at anyone while he thought about his dreams, or he'd lose his focus and forget them.

His dream had been a reoccurring one. It wasn't a nightmare, but it did make him a little sad. It had been a dream where he was sitting with his Mom, his real one. She was sitting at the table in a room he had not seen before, or maybe he had seen the room in a movie. He wasn't sure but it wasn't in the orphanage. In the dream, he somehow knew it was his home. She had made them both hot chocolate and while they waited for the milk to heat up she was smiling at him, like she smiled in the picture he had of her. His mom got up to make the hot chocolate. Naruto watched her and usually talked to her about something. When she turned back around, it was Hashira. She sat back down at the table and gave Naruto his cup, warning him it was hot but it never burned him when he drank it. He wasn't upset by the change. He did notice it but it felt natural. When Naruto would wake up from this dream, he felt confused. He often wondered what would happen if his dream came true. Would his mother be alive again or would Hashira be his mother?

When the excitement of seeing Inari replaced the feelings the dream had left, he left the room. He passed the caretaker who was monitoring the hallway. She asked him where he was going and, when he answered, she nodded.

"Just wait by the nursery. Hashira should be there to feed them in a few minutes."

He ran down the stairs to the nursery on the first floor. He pressed his face against the glass window that separated the baby room from the hallway. He scanned the cribs with his eyes until he found Inari's. He was kicking and screaming.

"Aww. Inari. It's okay. You're nii-san is here. I'll be inside in a minute. I'm waiting for Hashira, then I can come in and hold you." He spoke in a comforting voice, hoping that his brother would just know that he was there and know what he was saying. They did have a special bond, after all. He saw his brother's entire body shaking form his wails. A woman named Mugon Nagisami picked him up. She laid the screaming child on the table and then brought out a tray. Naruto looked at the tray and saw the needle laying on it. He froze. He hated needles but something a boy had said brought a new fear into his heart. The boy had said that some people died from needles; that was how police killed bad people in jail. Naruto could only stare as he watched her strap Inari down. She grabbed the yellow stuff they smeared on to numb people before they stick the needle in. Naruto snapped out of the trance, thinking the worst, and started pounding on the glass.

"NAGISAMI!! NAGISAMI, STOP! PLEASE, NAGISAMI! YOU'LL HURT HIM!! PLEASE STOP!" Naruto was screaming like his life depended on it. Nagisami put the needle in the bottle and filled the syringe with the cloudy fluid. Naruto pounded harder and screamed at the top of his lungs, begging, "PLEASE!!!! NAGISAMI!!! DON'T HURT HIMMMM!!!!"

Hashira had heard Naruto's screams and ran down the hallway to him. Nagisami brought the needle to Inari. Her back blocked Naruto's view. He pounded the glass, pleading with the woman who didn't answer his cries. He didn't see the needle go in but he saw that Inari had stopped kicking and he saw Nagisami lay the empty syringe on the tray. He stopped screaming and could only stare helplessly. His heart was pounding in his ears. Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around him. He turned around in Hashira's arms.

"Ha-Hashira! Nagisami…" His whole body was shaking. "Nagisami…Inari's not moving! Nagisami gave him a needle! Why isn't he moving?"

"Shhh." She held Naruto against her and rocked him. "Inari is fine. He's going to be alright." Naruto looked over his shoulder at Nagisami who unstrapped Inari.

"Why did she do that? Inari is a good baby."

"Of course he's a good baby. They didn't give him a shot to punish him."

"Then, why?"

"Naruto, Inari is very sick."

"What?" He looked like he was going to shatter. "So, he is going to die?"

"Oh, Naruto, no," she pressed her cheek to his head. "No. But he needs the medicine in that needle. One day he won't but, for the time being, he does. Babies are very fragile so he needs the medicine to help him get better."

"But—he was so scared! I should have held him!"

"Holding him would have only made him associate you with getting a shot. Needles do scare him, so he needs his big brother to come and comfort him when it's over. So, let's go in and comfort him now." Naruto nodded. He wiped the tears on his shirt while Hashira unlocked the door. He followed her in the room and ran to Inari's crib. He picked him up and glared at Nagisami. He didn't care that the medicine was going to help Inari; he was still angry with her. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

She looked at Hashira and signed, "Why is Naruto upset?" Nagisami was deaf so she wasn't accepted in many hospitals. She was a very efficient and caring woman though, so Loving Arms took the extra measure of teaching the children and caretakers alike sign language.

Hashira signed back, "He saw you give Inari the needle."

Nagisami put her hand to her heart. "I had no idea!" She turned to Naruto and touched his shoulder to get his attention. "I am so sorry you had to see that." Naruto's hands were occupied with Inari so he had an excuse not to respond. He wanted to stay angry, but she seemed so earnest. So he tried to form his words as clearly as possible so she could read his lips.

"He needed the medicine to get better. So…I guess it is okay." He shrugged.

"You're a good brother, Naruto," she signed.

"Thanks," he said. He looked away. He didn't feel like a good brother. Inari was waving his arms lazily to grab Naruto's attention. He met Inari's dazed eyes and the infant smiled, which made Naruto feel a little better.

Mujihi burst into the room. "Would someone mind telling me what in God's name that screaming was about?!" She whipped her head over to where Naruto was sitting. "What is he even doing in here?" Her voice did not help the uneasy feeling in Naruto's stomach.

Hashira stepped in. "He's helping me with the baby, Mujihi-san."

Mujihi gave Hashira a stern look. "May I have a word with you outside?" Hashira nodded and followed Mujihi outside the room. When Mujihi closed the door she turned to her. "Would you mind explaining to me why Naruto was screaming?" Hashira evaded Mujihi's eyes. "Look at me when I am talking to you!" Her words stung Hashira as much as they had when she was a child. She brought her eyes back up.

"Naruto saw Inari getting a shot—"

"What was he doing down here in the first place? He should be doing his chores."

Hashira waited. "Are there anymore questions you want to ask? Because it's really annoying when you cut people off like that."

Mujihi glared. "Go ahead. I'll let you speak your piece."

"Thank you. Naruto has been helping me take care of Inari this past week."

"Just Inari?"

"Just Inari."

She took a sharp breath. "I suppose that's the one he's been calling his brother, hasn't he?"

"Yes. He has. Naruto's behavior has improved since he started taking care of him and he has done an excellent job looking after him. I think it's really good for him."

"I'm sure it is. And it will do wonders for him when Inari gets adopted. Won't it?" Anger was chiseled into Mujihi's face. "I wonder about you sometimes. Did you think this through at all?! This relationship, while it may be good for the short term, is going to hurt him in the long run! I thought you would have learned your lesson after Iruka. You did the same thing then! Pair the troubled boy with the infant and create a bond. That was great at the time, too! Iruka is growing up to be a great kid but look at what the separation has done to them! Naruto hasn't bothered to make any friends. It's hard enough for blood siblings to be adopted together, but you make two boys into 'brothers' when they will probably end up being split up anyway!" Hashira listened, waiting for Mujihi to finish; otherwise, Mujihi would not listen to anything she said. "You know babies are the ones who get adopted the most. Adoption day is next week. Now let's think about the just how high the probability is that Inari will be adopted. Let's just think about that. Now what are you going to do if he's adopted? Naruto will be shattered. Whatever this bond between them fixes in Naruto, will be broken once he's adopted. With this in mind, tell me, what were you thinking?"

Hashira calmly said, "He won't be adopted next week—"

"What are you, a fortune-teller and a match maker now?"

"Will you let me finish? For God's sake, Mujihi, I am not a child anymore. So stop insulting my judgment!" This silenced Mujihi. "I know he's not getting adopted because that child was the unnamed one." The old woman stared as understanding began to set in. "This child won't be adopted any time soon because he was born addicted to meth thanks to his mother. I highly doubt that anyone is going to foot the bill to try and wean an infant off of drugs. I am well aware that this child will eventually be adopted. I am also aware that as a result of my past actions, Naruto is alone. He won't make friends now because he lacks confidence. However, by taking care of Inari, he feels needed and that is giving him strength. I care about Naruto, so don't you think for a second that I would risk Naruto's well being on some 'match-maing' whim."

Mujihi and Hashira stared at each other. After a moment she confessed, "I am no good at dealing with Naruto. He rubs me the wrong way and I don't handle him well." She wasn't normally one to admit her faults, so she found it a little awkward. "You do. And I'm glad that you do because I am finding that he really does have a sweet side. I see that he cares about this baby he calls 'brother'. I like seeing this side, even if I have to watch from a distance to see it. It's a relief." She watched Naruto through the glass, letting that little glint of her own 'sweet' side show. "I don't want to watch him relapse." She realized how exposed she was and quickly covered up again with an order, "So… just make sure he makes other friends." Hashira smiled, knowing that beneath Mujihi's stone heart, there was a warm one that generally cared about the children there.

"I will," she promised. Mujihi turned on her heel.

"And when he's done taking care of Inari, he's got clean up duty in the cafeteria. Make sure he doesn't neglect his chores."

"I will, Mujihi-san."

Naruto had been worried about the conversation outside. He couldn't hear them, and Naruto feared that Mujihi would try to keep him away from Inari. So he had been singing to comfort himself and Inari.

When Hashira walked back in, Inari was asleep in Naruto's arms. He truly had a way with the baby. There was a special bond there, or perhaps Naruto just had that effect on others. After all, that boy Juugo had apparently let Naruto go. It did make Hashira wonder, but she supposed she would just have to wait until Naruto opened up more to find out. Naruto saw her and carefully got to his feet. He set Inari down in his crib and ran up to Hashira.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No."

"Are you in trouble?"

She smiled. "No."

"Did she try to take Inari away?"

"What? Why would she do that?"

"Because she hates me."

She thought, "If only you knew how much she cares." She sighed, "She doesn't hate you, Naruto."

"Yes, she does."

"She grew up in a different time. People were stricter when she was little. She doesn't hate you. You just rub her the wrong way, and she rubs you the wrong way."

"Isn't that what hate is?"

"No, it just means you two don't get along well. She does care about you, though."

"Pfft." Naruto didn't believe her.

"If she hated you she would have turned a blind eye when those boys were ganging up on you."

Naruto let that sink in. "Really?" Feeling hated had been a heavy burden, even though he didn't really like her. "But she's always yelling at me!"

"She yells at everyone and her words are very hurtful. They hurt me sometimes, too. But I believe that there is a part of her deep down inside that is nice. I think we both got to see that part today."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"Oh! Before I forget, she said you've got cafeteria clean-up duty."

"Aw. Do I hafta?" Naruto pouted and tried to get out of his chores by looking cute but Hashira was immune to his charm.

"No, you don't have to. You can stay with me and help me change diapers." Naruto gasped and ran to the door. He had stayed for diaper changing once and he didn't plan on doing it again.

"Actually, I think I hear the broom calling my name! And, you know, I don't wanna get the other kids mad for having to do my share 'cause that's just not fair, is it? So I'm gonna go now. Thanks. Love you! Bye!" He bolted out the door.

Hashira chuckled to herself. She thought to herself, "I really hope he opens up to someone. Because they'll see how much of a gem he really is," she smiled. "Like I do."


	5. Chapter 5: Oh no! Adoption Day

The next week, Naruto swept the cafeteria floor with some of the other kids. At Loving Arms, every child had a chore. This week, Naruto was helping clean up the lunchroom but he liked sweeping because it didn't demand his full attention. The caretaker who watched over them had brought a radio to pass the time. So he daydreamed while he absentmindedly moved the broom to the music. The song on the radio told its story with a piano and a man who sang in another language.

The caretaker, Sophie, sang along with it. She was the cook who had come from another country on a "mission." Naruto had thought that she was some kind of spy when she said that until Hashira explained that "mission" in Sophie's terms meant volunteering abroad. She was a fantastic cook and very "well-rounded." (Hashira had once used this word to describe her.)

Naruto imagined the man in the song telling him about a sailor had been lost at sea. When the moon had risen, the sailor begged her to take him away from the sea. The moon gave his boat wings and, from that night on, he sailed the skies. He daydreamed about the sailor in the sky until he bumped into one of the other boys.

"Watch it, moron!" The kid scolded.

Naruto scowled, "You watch it, jerk face!"

"Idiotic brat!"

"What's your problem?"

"You are! Dummy. You and this whole freaking place. I can't wait to get out of here, tomorrow. Then I won't have to deal with brats like you." The kid continued to sweep angrily. Naruto paused as a question rose into his mind.

"Tomorrow?" He asked.

"Yeah. Adoption Day, stupid. And I'll be finally outta here."

Naruto squeezed the broom so tight that his knuckles had turned white. Adoption Day. The words rang in his head. He thought, "Inari…will he be adopted?"

He ran up to Sophie. "Sophie nee-san, I'm done. May I go see Hashira, please?"

She looked at the clock, which read 4:47. "She has a doctor's appointment at 5:00. She probably already left." Naruto's shoulders slumped. He worried that he would lose Inari. He thought that if he could tell Hashira that they could hide Inari or something to keep him from being swept away from Naruto. Sophie offered Naruto a smile. "I'm sure you'll catch her after dinner. She should be back by then." He nodded with his eyes on the ground. Sophie felt that work solved every problem, or at least took ones mind off of things, so she asked, "Would you help me set the tables for dinner?" Naruto nodded.

At dinnertime, Naruto kept an eye on the door, impatiently waiting for Hashira. Dinner dragged on but Hashira didn't show. During quiet time, when the kids could watch a movie or read, Naruto couldn't sit still. He got antsy and kept sitting down, getting up, and pacing around until Mujihi grew annoyed and sent him to bed. He read his comics on his bed for a while and that helped for a while. When bath time came, he had his hopes up that Hashira would be back on duty but he did not see her. Nervousness ate him from the inside.

He rolled around in the bed, trying to get to sleep but to no avail. Mujihi came in, had all the children say their nighttime prayers, and shut the light out. She didn't turn on the nightlight like Hashira did. Mujihi forgot about little things like that. It only made him more aware of Hashira's absence. He started to worry about Hashira. Why had she taken so long at the doctor's? Was she sick? Did she get hurt on the way back? The darkness played with Naruto's mind and his imagination started to paint horribly dark images of what could have happened to her. He tried to block the images out but nothing stuck. He clasped his hands together.

"Oka-san? Tou-san? Can you please put in a word to God? I'm worried about Hashira. I have really bad stuff in my head. Can you make it go away? And also let Hashira be all right. Please. I also don't want Inari to be adopted. I don't wanna lose any more people close to me…could you please tell Him that?" He waited in silence. He took a deep breath and the knot in his stomach loosened. "Thank you, Oka-san. Thank you, Tou-san. I love you both very much. And I miss you a lot." He kissed his hands and blew the kisses up to his parents in Heaven. "Good night and Amen."

Naruto turned on his side and pulled the blankets up to his chin. He thought, "Mommy and Daddy will tell God and everything will be okay. They love me and they'll protect Hashira." Images started coming into his mind again, so in his mind, he chanted, "Mommy and Daddy will protect Hashira. God will keep her safe." The chanting made the images die down and, eventually, he fell asleep.

Naruto woke up a few hours later. The room was still dark; the moon hadn't risen yet. He heard someone talking so he strained his ears to listen. He crept to the door and pressed his ear to it. He heard Hashira's voice! Relief washed over him. He wanted to run out to her but he heard another voice talking so he waited.

"So, you saw a friend?" The voice laughed, "Or a lover?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Nee-san. It was just a friend."

"Mind if I ask who this friend of yours' is?"

"His name's Kakashi. He's—"

"Oh! Kakashi! He's so hot!" The caretaker's voice took on a sly tone. "Nothing went on?"

"No. We are just friends."

"Well then, do you think you could hook me up?"

Hashira laughed. "Sorry, but I don't think you're his type."

"Aww."

"He's never around anyway. I haven't seen him in a year, at least. He never sticks around."

"Not even to say 'hi'?"

"Well, our last conversation hadn't been the most pleasant."

"Oh?"

"Yea. Well. It's late. I'll let you get to bed. Sorry about keeping you up. Thank you for taking over my shift." Hashira cut off the conversation. She didn't want to tell Mimi nee-san such personal things.

"You're welcome. If Kakashi ever changes his mind about his type, let me know." They laughed. Naruto heard the woman's footsteps retreat and stop. "By the way, Hashira-chan, Naruto-kun was looking for you. He seemed upset. You might want to talk to him, though I'm not sure if you want to wake him up."

"He'll fall right back asleep. I'll go talk to him. Thank you." The old boards creaked as Hashira approached the door. Naruto scooted back as the door opened. Hashira nearly tripped over him. She gasped.

"Naruto!" She whispered, "What are you doing up this late?"

"I woke up and I heard you in the hall. I'm sorry but I have to talk to you."

"Well, get in bed and we'll talk." Naruto crawled back under the covers. Hashira sat by his feet. "Now, what's wrong?"

"I was worried about you! You were gone all night." He pouted. "I thought that you were hurt or something bad happened."

"I'm sorry, Naruto. You don't have to worry about me though. I can handle myself."

"Yeah. Like my parents, right?" An angry blush rose to his cheeks. "Adults say that all the time. 'I can take care of myself.' Adults can die just as easily as kids can."

When Loving Arms hires a caretaker, Mujihi makes it clear that she must chose her words carefully. During Christmas, she has forbidden certain songs such as "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," and other songs that include any mention of parents or homes, because most of the children would have neither one for Christmas. Caretakers constantly have to think before they speak to avoid tears.

Hashira had forgotten just how well Naruto understood fragility of life. She immediately regretted her words. She moved next to him. "I'm sorry. You're right. I will be careful and I'll call next time I'm gonna be late." She hugged him. He sniffled and let his anger recede a little. The hug couldn't comfort him with the question that still hung in Naruto's mind.

"There's something else, too."

"What's that?"

"Adoption Day's tomorrow." He looked at her with sullen eyes. "What if Inari gets adopted?"

"He won't be adopted tomorrow." Naruto opened his mouth but Hashira continued to answer the question she knew he'd ask. "He's sick and he has a lot of needs. Most parents don't have the time or money to take care of him. So, he'll be with us for now."

Naruto's shoulders slumped in defeat. "For now? So, once he gets better, he'll be gone, right?" Hashira felt immensely guilty. Mujihi's warnings tormented her. Naruto had not made any friends. Perhaps his relationship with Inari would hurt him more than help him. She sighed.

"Yes, Naruto. He will probably be adopted." Silence followed.

Naruto's eyes pierced through Hashira's heart as he asked, "Why don't you just adopt us?" At the sound of it, Naruto's heart lifted. "We could live together and you could be our mom."

"Naruto…"

"You could keep us together and—and I wouldn't be any trouble. I'd be really good."

"Naruto…"

"I'll even change Inari's diapers if you want me to!"

"Naruto! Please…" Hashira's voice pleaded. Naruto grew silent. She had put her head in her hands. He thought she would start to cry but when she looked at him, he didn't see tears. Hashira kept her composure. She tried her best to keep the tears away and to find some way to comfort Naruto.

"Naruto, you know I can't adopt you. I live here. I have no home to take you to." Naruto looked down at the blankets, ashamed. She sounded really hurt. "If I could, I would have adopted you and Iruka a long time ago. But I can't. That's the way things are." Naruto twisted the sheets in his hands. "But," she added, "Because of the way things are, you have met Inari." She lifted his chin up and smiled gently. "Life has a lot of pain but out of that pain there comes something that makes the pain bearable. We appreciate the good times and are made stronger because of those bad times. So, keep your chin up. Everything will work out."

Naruto stared into Hashira's face. He couldn't really grasp it all but her words had offered him some strength. At the very least, he would have Inari tomorrow. Fatigue overcame him and he yawned.

"You need to get some sleep." She tucked Naruto in. "Now," she kissed his head, "Sweet dreams." She got up but Naruto grabbed her shirt.

"Hashira?" He didn't want Hashira to leave him yet.

"Hmm?"

"Can you sing to me, please?"

"Of course." Naruto closed his eyes. Hashira felt a little self-conscious about her voice but children never seem to care about how well you sing. So she sang a hymn to him and before the end of the second verse, he was asleep. Hashira finished her song and got up and checked on the other children. She crept into the hallway and closed the door.

Anger swelled in her chest. She hated the fact that Naruto had endured so much pain. She hated that she felt so hopeless. And she blamed Kakashi. She felt overcome with anger so she took off her headband and threw it across the hall. But the action didn't satisfy her at all, so she went to bed with the hate pressing down on her chest.


	6. Chapter 6: A New Day

This chapter is shorter than my normal ones. I changed the story from the original Chapter 6. I didn't really like where it was placed. For those of you who read it. It will be back but as another chapter. Maybe it'll be better written by then. Enjoy.

*******

The next morning, the children at Loving Arms woke up early. Those who could dress themselves did so and then helped the younger ones who had trouble. They made their beds and cleaned up the room as best as they could. One of the caretakers came in and told the children to line up. They followed the caretaker down the stairs and to the cafeteria but Naruto dragged his feet the whole way.

Around 10 o'clock, after church, the children came back inside and filed into the playroom. The one good thing about Adoption Day was that they got to play pretty much all day. Parents started coming in. Naruto did his best to ignore them. He sat by the toy box and played with the dinosaurs, waiting for Hashira.

At 10:30, Hashira finally came in. Naruto walked over to her, trying not to draw attention to himself.

"Good mornin', Hashira."

"Good morning, Naruto."

"Do you have any paper?"

"Not with me, but I'm going to the nursery." Naruto's eyes lit up. "We'll get some on the way back." She winked and they went into the hallway towards the nursery.

Naruto grinned and his steps had a little more bounce to them. Hashira suggested, "You should talk to some of the parents. They're nice people."

"That can't afford to have two kids," he mumbled.

"Naruto! You know some of the nicest people come here. It isn't their fault they can't afford two kids."

Naruto sighed, "I know but that's always the problem."

She stroked his hair. "Someone will come one day."

When she said those words, Naruto thought about the previous night. Hashira always made him feel loved and special. She knew how to make him feel better. Did he even want someone else? He tried to imagine another woman stroking his hair or kissing him good night. He could only imagine his mother or Hashira doing that. Realizing this, he slipped his hand into Hashira's.

"I don't really care if someone comes for me." He looked up with his kind and bright smile. "I've got you."

She found herself blushing at the meaningful comment. She gave his little hand a squeeze. "Thank you. But this place isn't exactly what you would call home."

"But didn't you say, 'Home is where the heart is'?"

"I did say that, didn't I? Well, do you feel at home here?"

Naruto thought for a minute, then replied, "I think that half of my heart is with Iruka, and the other half is here with you. So, I guess I have two homes don't I?"

"Yes you do."

They came to the nursery. Hashira brought Naruto and Inari into a separate room, while she helped the potential parents with the infants. Naruto enjoyed the quiet atmosphere away from surrounding parents. He put Inari on his belly on the play mat very carefully. He laid down on the ground in front of Inari and watched him. Inari lifted his head and wiggled around. Naruto giggled. He reminded him of a turtle on its back. Putting his head on his folded hands, he remembered what Hashira had told him about a game babies liked to play. So he "mirrored" Inari's facial expressions. When Inari furrowed his eyebrows, Naruto copied him. Inari gave Naruto a toothless smile. He seemed to like the game as much as Naruto.

Naruto cooed, "You're so cute!" He smirked. "You get it from me, you know."

Naruto played with Inari until naptime. Hashira let Naruto sing to him before laying him down in his bed. He had fallen asleep before she even put him down. Afterwards, they walked to the cafeteria. They arrived late so everyone else had already settled into their seats. Many children that met parents over the course of the day ate with them. Naruto found an empty table and sat down. Hashira left to get the trays. Naruto looked around at the children who sat and talked to the people who would probably adopt them. The kids chatted away about things while the parents listened intently with a look of adoration on their face. When certain kids made eye contact with them a moment passed that looked to Naruto like a moment of realization of fate or something. But there was no epiphany for Naruto. Parents had talked to him but they never looked at him like that. Naruto remembered that moment that had passed between Iruka and his parents. Once Naruto saw the look in Iruka's eyes, he knew he'd have to let his brother go. Iruka didn't want to leave Naruto, so Naruto had to push him out. Remembering it hurt him so he tried to stop thinking about it.

Hashira returned and saw Naruto looking at the parents with sad eyes. She sat down, and draped her arm over his shoulder.

She whispered in his ear, " I love you with all my heart."

Naruto turned to her. He gazed into her face and recognized the look. It didn't have the same feeling that the "moment" had but he knew she meant her words.

"I love you, too."

At approximately 6 o'clock, parents started to leave. Some would be returning the next week to take their future children out to lunch. The caretakers at Loving Arms did their best to investigate a couple as thoroughly as possible before they let the child be adopted. They also liked giving the children time to bond with the parents before they finalized the adoption. Other parents probably wouldn't return. Those parents walked hand in hand with the child they adopted. After everyone said their goodbyes, the room quieted as the children settled by the T.V. or in a chair with a book. Naruto looked at the door; sadness still laid inside of him. Hashira could never call Naruto her "son." He envied the adopted ones, if only for that title.

Hashira touched his shoulder. "Looks like a lot of kids were adopted today."

"Yeah…" He said glumly.

"Must have been about six kids from your floor."

"Yeah…?" He looked up confused.

Hashira smirked, "You know, Renji was adopted today. He usually sleeps with Ken. So, I guess Ken will have to sleep _alone_ tonight."

"Nah. Ken's got plenty of friends. He'll find someone—" He paused. "They left empty beds."

She grinned. "Better hurry up and brush your teeth if you want to get to bed on time." She winked.

Naruto dashed up the stairs. He brushed his teeth, put on his pajamas, and plopped on Renji's old bed. When other kids came up into the room he announced loudly, "I call this bed!"

One of the kids said, "Who cares?"

"It's the one Renji used to sleep on." Naruto smirked.

The kid's eyes opened wide and he casually walked over to the other bed, where another kid used to sleep.

"I call it!" After that, a bunch of children scrambled to get one of the other open beds. Some kids fought over the beds while Naruto, smiling triumphantly, pulled out his paper from the dresser and started drawing.

Hashira came up later and told the children a story. The children always listened intently. The way she told stories made the characters into flesh and blood and the places fragrant with the perfumes she described. Her stories pulled them in and stirred their imaginations.

Afterwards, she said a prayer, tucked them in and gave each one a kiss. She flicked on the night-light and turned off the big light.

"Sweet dreams." Murmurs of goodnight responses filled the air as she closed the door. Naruto took advantage of his full bed and spread his limbs out. He fell asleep dreaming of the legends Hashira told.


	7. Chapter 7: A New Arrival

((Hey, guys! Sorry for the long wait! I got stuck for a while, but I think I'm satisfied with the chapter now. Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and for your patience. Enjoy!))

Unfortunately, Naruto did not have the "sweet dreams" Hashira wished him. Hours later, Naruto jolted awake with a heavy feeling of fear pressing against his chest. No images from the dream came to his mind, but the fear still resided. Though it did not have a face initially, as he looked around the room, his fear began to take form. The shadows around the room distorted normal, harmless items into things with faces and teeth. He slid his feet out of bed and tiptoed to the door.

He peaked out and saw the caretaker on night watch slumped in her chair. He heard the faint sounds of slumber and, feeling safe, he ventured out into the hallway. He crept towards the door to the caretakers' room. Several caretakers shared a room on each floor. Naruto stood at the door, nervously, not wanting to wake any of the other caretakers up. If they saw him in their room, they'd think he was up to no good and he'd get in trouble. But he had to see Hashira. So, Naruto summoned his courage and opened the door.

Six beds lined the wall. The moon had risen and illuminated the room. Naruto peered at the sleeping faces, looking for Hashira's. The moon's cool light reflected on her pale skin. He made his way over to her bed. He kneeled by the bed and tapped her shoulder. She didn't wake up.

So he whispered as loud as he dared, "Hashira?" She stirred. Then, after a minute, she squinted her eyes open. She closed them again as she stretched.

"Naruto?" He already felt a wave of relief wash over him. She sat up. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I woke up and I can't fall back asleep…"

"Did you try counting sheep?" She hardly seemed awake.

"No." He worried that she would send him back to bed so he gripped the fabric of her pajamas with urgency. "I had a bad dream."

Hashira rubbed her eyes. "Come here." He sat on her lap. "What was your dream about?"

"I don't remember but I woke up really scared." He wished he made something up. He felt like he annoyed her by waking her up.

She drearily rubbed his back and suggested, "Would hot chocolate make you feel better?"

He nodded. She stretched again, seeming more awake. She took his hand and they made their way downstairs into the kitchen.

She went into the cabinet and brought the chocolate powder out.

"This stays between us, alright?" She got out the milk and two mugs.

"'Because we don't want to hurt anyone else's feelings.' Right?" Naruto recited. Hashira poured the milk in.

"That's right. And I'll get in trouble for treating you special." She was about to add the powder.

"Wait!" Naruto whispered. She paused. He ran to her side. "Can I do that?"

"Sure." She smiled and pulled a chair up to the counter. Naruto climbed up and added the powder. Hashira put them in the microwave before sitting up on the counter herself. They listened to the microwave humming in an otherwise silent space. Naruto wanted to talk though. Hearing Hashira talk comforted him and helped him forget about his nightmare. So he pulled out the first question that came to his mind.

"Did you know my mommy and daddy?"

Hashira smiled. "You know the answer to that. You just want to hear me talk about them, I suppose. Do you want me to tell you stories I've heard about them?"

Naruto felt that he was prying but he had to ask. "Well, do you have any stories from when you knew them?"

He sighed. "Well, when I saw them it wasn't usually on the best terms so I'm not sure that I have any good stories."

"Any story is fine." Naruto put his head in his hands, smiling.

"When I was younger, I would get into a lot of trouble. Your parents, being police officers, were always picking me up and bringing me back here, at the time, this place was a girls orphanage. You see, I was somewhat of a yankee when—"

"A Yankee?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Shhh." She laughed. Naruto quieted. "Yes. When I was younger I would sneak out at night, or cut classes. Your parents were the ones always catching me."

"What were they like?" Naruto couldn't stop smiling.

"They were both very caring. And always said that I didn't realize my own worth. I didn't back then but they believed that I was a good kid deep down. They were the only ones who believed that though." It still stung her a little to talk about them, but she didn't mind it if it made Naruto happy.

"Did they ever save your life?" Naruto asked. Hashira never said much about their deaths except that they died in the line of duty. But this simple statement made an impression on Naruto's mind; it sounded heroic to him. Television often influences a child's definition of "hero." So since he knew so little about them, sometimes he would lie in his bed and fill in the missing pieces of his parents' personalities with the heroes he saw in movies.

She smirked at the question. "They weren't super heroes but they did save me from getting thrown in juvenile hall." Hashira looked away as scenes from those times played through her mind. The microwave beeped and she snapped out of her nostalgic daze. She took the hot chocolate out and handed a cup to Naruto. He sipped to test and, satisfied with the temperature, gulped it down.

A particular moment came to Hashria's mind. "There was one time, though…" She sipped, somewhat uncertain if she should wait until Naruto was older to tell him her tale. Deciding he had heard worse tales from other children there, she continued, "…Your mom really did save my life." Naruto's eyes widened and he immediately put his cup down. He hung on her every word as she told her story. "I told the gang I was in that I was going to leave them. When I handed in my jacket, they started beating me up. Your mother had been patrolling the area when she found me on the ground. She picked me up, lifted me on her back, and carried me to the car." Hashira kept the pain out of her voice. She had not known Kushina for very long but in that time, Kushina did more for her than her real mother ever did.

Naruto's eyes stayed glued to Hashira. All the times he imagined his mother or father coming to save him now seemed so real. He thought, "If they were alive now, they would have saved me, too." He yearned for more details. So he asked, "Did she say anything?"

"She kept asking me what happened and if I felt alright. I told her I had quit and that I didn't want to talk about it. So we didn't talk the whole way there. But when we got to the hospital, she said, 'I was so worried when I saw you on the ground, I'm glad you're all right. That took a lot of guts to do that. I really admire your strength and… I'm really proud of you.'" Those words meant so much to Hashira. It was the first time anyone had said that to her. At the time, she cried at Kushina's words. Although she felt teary eyed as she told Naruto, she cradled a smile.

"I really would have liked to hear her say that to me." Naruto bit his lip.

"She would have told you all the time. Whenever you take care of Inari, I know she is saying it. You make them both very proud."

"Really?"

"Without a doubt."

Naruto looked into his mug with a smile at the remaining chocolate milk. Hashira's words made him feel closer to them. He turned to her excitedly. "What about my dad? Do you have any stories about him?"

"Yes, actually but I think these stories are reflecting poorly on my character." She sighed but continued. "I had cut school one day, which was a horrible idea! Don't ever cut school."

"I won't."

"Well, your father caught up to me. I had been expecting a lecture but he just sat down next to me and talked to me. You dad was always—"

The phone interrupted their conversation. Hashira rushed over to pick it up, so as not to wake everyone up. It rang a second time before she got to it.

"Hello?" She asked. She heard someone talking on the other line.

"I've got it." She heard Mujihi snap.

"Oh! Sorry, Mujihi-san." She quickly hung up and walked back to Naruto. He sat, angry with the person on the phone for cutting Hashira's story off. "Finish your milk and I'll take you back upstairs." She told him.

"Whaa? You aren't gonna tell me more about Daddy?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But Mujihi's awake and she's grumpy when she wakes up."

"She's grumpy all the time." Naruto muttered.

"Well, she's worse in the morning. If she sees you up, we'll both be in trouble. I promise I will finish the story first thing tomorrow."

"Alright," he sighed. He gulped down his milk. He froze when they heard the sound of descending footsteps.

"Hide." Hashira whispered. She took his mug while Naruto dashed under the sink. They listened as Mujihi scolded the caretaker who had been asleep in the chair upstairs. Mujihi came down shortly after.

She looked at Hashira with a glare. "What are you doing up?"

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I was making myself some hot chocolate."

"Pfft. You might as well make it coffee. You and I won't be going back to sleep." Mujihi made her way to the kitchen table and sat down, putting her head in her hands.

"What's wrong?" Hashira asked as she grabbed the coffee can out of the cabinet.

"The world and every self-righteous, selfish person in it." She heaved a sigh and stared at the table. "Do you know the Uchiha's?"

"I have heard of them…"

"A fire took the whole manor. The entire clan lived there. They all went up in flames."

"Oh my God!" Hashira raised a hand to her mouth. "How…?"

"The Uchiha's partially owned a health insurance company. This woman came at their door begging them to influence the company to cover her husband's chemo bill. She said he couldn't live without it. They wouldn't help her and her husband died. So she burned it down, then killed herself." She gave a hollow laugh. "That seems to be the trend these days. The people who commit these crimes on impulse don't want to live long enough to suffer the guilt of their actions. May they burn in Hell." Hashira sat down while the coffee brewed. She worried about Naruto hearing it all. "That's not even the worst of it." Mujihi continued. "The lone survivor is the youngest of the clan, Uchiha Sasuke. The poor child saw the whole thing…"

Naruto listened from underneath the sink. He sympathized with the child. He didn't know the details of his parents' death and wasn't sure if he ever wanted to find out. Because some part of him felt that truth would make their death concrete. Naruto occasionally entertained the thought that they both had survived but were hiding away for some reason. But if he knew how they died, he would have to picture them dead. He didn't want to imagine that anytime soon. But for kids like the Uchiha boy, it wasn't something they imagined, it had happened and resided forever in their memories. Kids like Sasuke, couldn't run away from those thoughts.

"Is he alright?" Hashira asked.

"Physically? Yes. Surprisingly, very minor burns. He was at the hospital being treated for shock. We'll be expecting him soon." At this, Mujihi stood up.

"It's a shame…" Hashira said, "These children don't get childhoods."

"No. They don't. But at the least, he still has his brother."

"His brother?"

"He has an older brother, named Itachi, who's away at school. He's in another country right now, but we should be expecting him sometime this week." She poured coffee for herself and Hashira. "Go fetch him some clothes and a toothbrush please. I'll get your coffee." Her voice sounded weary.

Hashira placed a hand on Mujihi's shoulder. "Did you know the Uchiha's?"

"A long time ago, back when I worked for Sarutobi-sama…" She shook Hashira's hand off. "Go get his clothes."

Hashira quickly made her way to the supply closet and grabbed some clothes. She didn't want to leave Naruto under the sink any longer than she had to. She returned to the kitchen. "Mujihi-san? Why don't you get dressed? They'll be here soon." Mujihi nodded and walked up the stairs. As soon as she disappeared, Hashira went to the cabinet and opened the door. "Are you alright?" She whispered.

"Yeah," he whispered back, "I've hidden in places much smaller for way longer playing hide and seek."

"Alright. We better get you back up—" The door bell rang and she shooed Naruto. "Just go without me. I'll see you in the morning." She gave him a kiss on the head and ran for the door. But Naruto wanted to see the newcomer. His heart went out to the boy. So he crouched behind the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Hashira opened the door. A man stood with his hand on the shoulder of a young boy around Naruto's age. The boy had charcoal hair and an ashen face. His eyes stared straight ahead. He saw only flames in his eyes. The sounds of the crackling fire that consumed his house filled his ears. But no one screamed. His family had all died asleep in their beds. The smoke had killed them before the fire did.

Sasuke did not want to move. He only entered the orphanage because an outside force led him there. Had the people not carried him out of the burning house, he would have been engulfed. At the time, he welcomed the arms that took him away from the fires. He had felt so afraid. But as he saw the scene repeating itself in his mind, he wished he had joined them. Tossed into the dark uncertainty of the world, he longed for the fire's warmth and light. Though the flames surrounded him, so had his family. If he had stayed, he thought, maybe he could have gone to the place his mother sometimes talked about, the place behind death's veil. The name of it escaped him though. He couldn't think clearly. The thick black smoke from the fires clouded his mind. Distance voices spoke but he could not hear them.

"He hasn't spoken or responded to much of anything since he got in the ambulance." The man said.

"Then why isn't he at the hospital? Shouldn't he be watched for signs of trauma?"

"And who's going to foot that bill?"

"Excuse me?" Hashira wanted to wring the man's throat.

"I'm not saying it's my opinion. But look at it from the hospital's point of view…"

"I'd rather not." Hashira interrupted.

"Besides, being alone in the hospital isn't any more healthy than being here. If there are any issues, the state will fund it after the proper documents are in order. Speaking of which, there is a lot of paperwork to deal with so, shall we get started?"

Hashira answered stiffly, "Mujihi-san will be down momentarily, if you'll wait here." "You prick," she thought. She touched Sasuke's shoulder, and said to the man, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get him settled." The man nodded and Hashira felt disgusted at the man's indifference. She led Sasuke and said gently, "This way, Sasuke-kun." He followed her guiding hand but made no response, otherwise.

When she reached the kitchen, Naruto stood up. She jumped in surprise. "Naruto!" She whispered. "You should be upstairs."

"But I wanted to see him. And he needs a bed doesn't he?"

His response surprised Hashira. Naruto didn't reach out to people normally, but perhaps hearing about Sasuke had brought out some compassion for the boy.

"Alright. Then, will you please take him upstairs, Naruto?" He nodded. She kneeled down in front of Sasuke and tried to look him in the eyes but he didn't see her. All that happened around him seemed so distant.

She took Sasuke into her arms and whispered in a soft comforting voice, "I am so sorry about your family, Sasuke-kun. I know this place isn't home but it's safe here and there are a lot of caring people here who are willing to listen if you ever need to talk." Her words fell on deaf ears. Sasuke knew someone was holding him, but it wasn't his mother or father so he didn't care. Hashira let him go and stood up. Some kids cried when she hugged them but welcomed the embrace. Other children pushed her away. Though it hurt, at least they reacted. The children that didn't react were the ones Hashira lost sleep over.

"This is Naruto. He will show you around here and help you get settled." She handed Naruto the clothes for Sasuke. "Naruto, will you please take Sasuke upstairs?"

Naruto nodded.

"Thank you, Naruto. Good night."

"Good night, Hashira." He took Sasuke's hand and led him up the stairs. The heat of the imaginary flames left him and he suddenly felt cold. The images that replayed his eyes disappeared in an instant. Sasuke found himself staring at the back of the boy who guided him. Who was this boy? Where was he?

"Orphanage." That's right. He had seen a sign outside the window when the man drove up to this place. He was in an orphanage. "What will happen to me?" Sasuke thought. His feet suddenly felt heavy. His grip on the boy's hand tightened. He couldn't move. The world seemed to have crumbled before him as reality began to sink in. He was alone in a strange place, surrounded by strangers. The orphanage would sell him to another family. He would have to call someone else his "Oka-san" and "Tou-san." The idea of being in such a place frightened him. He had no one, except perhaps this boy at his hand but how could he trust him? He had never dealt with anyone outside the Uchiha family.

Naruto felt a tug and turned around. He saw Sasuke's eyes filled with tears. Sasuke kept his head bowed and his eyes on the ground as tears fell. He was afraid to let the boy see him cry.

Naruto tried to think of something to say but no words came. He could not fully understand Sasuke's pain. Sasuke had experienced a parent's love and then had it taken away. Naruto could only piece together his parents' love for him through the stories and words of Hashira. He had been too young when they died to know how it felt to lose the ones you love. So, wanting to comfort him the only way he knew how, Naruto enveloped Sasuke in his arms.

Sasuke only longed to cry into this boy's shoulder but fear made everyone an enemy in waiting to him. So he didn't hug him back or even relax. He wished he could trust this boy, but he couldn't. No place felt safe anymore, not even in this boy's arms. The arms that meant to comfort seemed to trap him instead.

When Naruto found that his hug didn't help, he released him. However, Sasuke didn't reject Naruto when he held his hand. They continued up the stairs in a silence. Naruto felt like a complete failure. He tried to think of something to say again. But he had nothing else to offer.

When they arrived, Sasuke looked around the dark room. The nightlight did not brighten the room much but there was enough light for Sasuke to see all the beds lined up against the wall and that boys filled those beds. There were so many.

"Are they all," he thought, "the same as me? Is this a common thing?" The number of children shattered any remnants of his illusion of safety. Naruto's hand tugged him and he followed until they got to a bed.

One bed. He wondered. "Where's yours?" He was about to ask the boy as he put the clothes on the nightstand next to the bed. But then Naruto climbed in. So Sasuke asked, "Where's my bed?"

"Here. You can share mine."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Sleep in bed with a complete stranger?

Naruto took Sasuke's hand again. "There aren't any empty beds here. If you need room, I'll try to stay to one side, okay?"

Sasuke nodded as he thought, "This is the way things will be. Besides, I can't refuse… I'll make an enemy. If he isn't one already." Sasuke took the clothes and Naruto turned away to give him privacy. Sasuke removed the garments the hospital staff had given him. He put on the pants but when he tried to button his nightshirt his hands shook. Sasuke tried to stifle the sobs in his throat. Naruto heard him though and rolled over. He slid to his side and helped Sasuke with the buttons. His fingers gently pulled each button through. A tear landed on his hand. Seeing Sasuke's tears, Naruto pulled his sleeve over his hand and wiped some of the tears away. Sasuke flinched though, so Naruto backed away to his side, not wanting to scare him.

Sasuke got under the covers but kept his back to the boy. He kept quiet, listening for the other child's breathing to slow with sleep. After a bit he looked over his shoulder to see the boy sleeping peacefully. He carefully slipped out of the bed and crawled beneath it. He brought his knees to his chest and let quiet sobs escape.

"K-Ka-san? Tou-san? Please. Don't- don't leave me here… I can't…" His voice broke and his sobs muffled his pleas.

Above him, Naruto listened to him cry. Tears rolled down his cheek too. He waited until Sasuke's sobs quieted and his breathing evened out. Then he took a blanket off the bed and crawled under the bed. He covered him up with it before getting into bed again.


	8. Chapter 8: Rotten Wood

When Sasuke opened his eyes, fear twisted in his stomach.

_"Where am I?"_ He thought. Clearly he was under a bed but nothing looked familiar to him. He lifted the tattered bed skirt and, though it had been dark the night before, he recognized the layout of the beds against the wall. The brief moment of confusion passed as quickly as it had come. He remembered the fire and the orphanage. He remembered the long walk up the stairs with his hand in a strange boy's grasp and the darkness of the room. The darkness had not seemed to leave, despite the daylight that poured through the windows. Nothing seemed to shine anymore. No words of comfort could fill his mind. He had lost everything.

He began to cry again. He felt somewhat sheltered under the bed. It closed him in and hid him away from the world. A whimper escaped his mouth and his hands bolted to cover his mouth.

A stronger voice inside his head warned him, _"Don't let anyone hear you crying! 'The weak ones are always the first to go.'"_

His dad used to say that about the businesses he would buy. The words stopped him from crying but they didn't comfort him or make him feel stronger. He curled up into a ball and hid his head under the blanket. He tried to calm down and stop his lips from trembling.

When he breathed in, he took in the smell of the blanket. It smelled like that heavily perfumed cheap detergent his mom said she'd never buy. But another scent lingered in it. It was a softer scent and a little familiar, maybe it was the boy's? Sasuke's eyes widened. _"Did he put this blanket on me?"_ He wondered. Sasuke poked his head out from underneath the blanket and wrapped it around himself. He crawled out from under the bed and sat up.

He peaked over the side of the bed to see the boy's bright eyes open and staring at him.

"Oh, you're awake." Naruto sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Sasuke nodded but he worried that the boy may have heard him crying.

"Did you sleep okay?"

Sasuke nodded again.

"Good. It's a lot cooler now, so it's not so bad. But it gets really hot in the summer."

The boy stretched. He had skin that had seen more sun than Sasuke's. His wide smile looked like it had seen many sunny days too.

Sasuke thought, _"How can he be smiling? If he's here, doesn't that mean his parents died? How could he be happy? How could he forget his family and smile again?"_ He tightened his grip on the blanket. He wanted to ask but he didn't.

Naruto looked over at Sasuke again. Sasuke looked just like a porcelain doll he had seen in a store once. Naruto had been awake for a while, trying to decide how he could help Sasuke. He decided on using the cheerful approach. Maybe if Sasuke saw that Naruto was a friendly person, he would feel safer.

"Are you hungry? I'm starving! Let's go eat."

Sasuke thought, _"Maybe that's how things are here. Maybe you're supposed to forget about your parents. What if they try to force me to be happy?"_ Sasuke crawled back under the bed.

"I'm not hungry." Sasuke did his best to not sound scared, then pulled the blanket over his head. The bed creaked then he heard a soft thud.

Naruto crawled under the bed. _"I guess the cheerful approach isn't working."_ He sighed and leaned his head forward until it touched Sasuke's. "I know you probably don't have much of an appetite right now. But, the caretakers here get scared if kids don't eat. If you come down now, while everyone is in the lunchroom, they won't notice if you don't eat."

"What happens if they find out I'm not eating?"

"They'll make you eat."

The idea of the 'caretakers' forcing him to do anything worried him. "Why?"

"Because when you don't eat, you get sick."

"Will they really force me to eat?"

"Not if they don't catch us."

"I won't get caught?"

"Nope. I'm really tricky. I'll sneak the food off your plate before they could know what happened to it. They'll assume you're eating it."

The golden boy's warmth came through the blanket. This boy seemed to care. But Sasuke's thoughts went back to his father. He often coxed business people into deals by acting very nice. Sasuke knew he had to be careful.

"Ok." Sasuke pulled off the blanket.

Naruto smiled at him before scooting out from under the bed. "Good 'cause I'm super hungry." After Sasuke crawled out, Naruto said, "Alright. Let's go!"

Naruto raced down the stairs while Sasuke steadily made his way down. Once at the bottom, Naruto turned the corner and out of Sasuke's sight. Sasuke hurried to catch up. He did not want to be alone in the orphanage. When he reached the floor, he did not see Naruto anywhere. Panic engulfed him immediately. He didn't know the boy's name so he couldn't call out for him.

"Boo!" Naruto jumped out.

Sasuke clenched his heart. Naruto was being playful and only wanted to surprise him but he immediately regretted it. Naruto felt like he kept on making stupid mistakes.

"I'm sorry! I was just playing! I'm sorry I scared you!"

Sasuke tried to regain his composure. "You didn't."

"Oh." Naruto felt embarrassed about his mistake, but also annoyed at Sasuke's condescending tone.

"I have really fast reflexes, though. Try that again, and you'll end up on the floor." Sasuke said this in the hopes that it would make him feel stronger. It didn't.

Naruto did his best to look out for the caretakers. He succeeded in scooping Sasuke's food off his plate. Sasuke bent over his food and pantomimed eating it. Neither spoke the entire meal. The comments Sasuke made aggravated Naruto, so he didn't feel like talking to Sasuke or pretending to be cheerful. The "cheerful approach" did not seem to work anyway. Sasuke worried about his comment. Maybe this boy knew he lied or maybe he saw him as a threat now.

After lunch, a nap usually followed but since they both just woke up, the caretakers allowed them to stay up. So they sat on Naruto's bed. Naruto decided to try being nice again.

"So, what do you want to do?" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke shrugged.

"Do you want to read a book?"

He shook his head.

"We could play in the playroom."

He shook his head again.

"What about coloring? We could color."

Sasuke shook his head again.

Naruto was completely irritated now. "Then what DO you want to do?"

"Nothing." That condescending look again.

"Fine! I'm gonna get some books. You sit in here and be a jerk!" Naruto left the room fuming. He thought, _"You want to act tough? Weren't you the one who was sobbing under the bed this morning? Weren't you unable to button your own shirt 'cause you were shaking so much? Weren't you the one crying for your mother and father last—"_ He stopped as guilt welled up inside him. Didn't Naruto also cry for his mother and father? Naruto was not sure why Sasuke had put on this act but he knew that it was not the real Sasuke. His resolve renewed. He decided to find something that would interest Sasuke. Maybe he could pull the real Sasuke out somehow. He rushed into the playroom to get his favorite stories. He was eager to try again.

After Naruto left the room, Sasuke began to wonder if his own method was really working. He had made the boy mad but maybe isolation was safer, he thought. By keeping others away from himself, he would not have to depend or trust anybody. This sounded good for the brief moments before Kidomaru came in.

"Hello. You're the new kid, right?" Kidomaru asked.

Sasuke froze. He eyed him up, thinking, _"This guy is a few years older, maybe 12. There's no way I could take him, if he tries to fight."_ Sasuke could tell by Kidomaru's stance and the tone of his voice that he hadn't come on friendly terms. _"If he comes after me, I'll have to make a run for it,"_ he decided. He stayed quiet and waited for Kidomaru to continue.

"I am Kidomaru. And these…" Three other boys walked in the room. Sasuke's eyes followed Kidomaru's hand as he introduced each of them. "…Are my friends, Jirobo, Sakon, and Ukon." Fear gripped Sasuke. Escape had been the plan, but that shattered the moment the others walked in. "What's your name?" Kidomaru asked.

Sasuke didn't answer.

"You know, on second thought, I really don't care." Kidomaru moved towards Sasuke on the bed. He put an arm on either side of the small boy. Sasuke felt swallowed up in his shadow. "I saw you at lunch today. The kid you were hanging with, I don't like him. He's no good. Stay with him and you're sure to get into trouble."

"_His name, his name… what's that blonde boy's name?"_ He needed it. He should have asked at lunch. Sasuke needed to call out the boy's name so he could get a caretaker. Then maybe that would break up the group and he'd have a chance to escape. Sasuke decided to risk getting Kidomaru mad, he just had to get the boy's name out of him. "What kind of trouble?"

"Lots. The worst is the kind he gets into with me." He smiled. Kidomaru wanted to make Naruto feel as alone as possible because he was a threat. Naruto challenged him and Kidomaru wanted to avoid having that attitude spread.

"What did whatever-his-name-is do?" Sasuke thought, _"Come on, dimwit, give me his name."_

"He kept asking questions." It was more like questioning his authority, though. This kid seemed smart and that threatened Kidomaru too.

Sasuke could tell his questions agitated Kidomaru. He tried once more. "Well, can you tell me his name so I can break the news to him properly?"

Kidomaru couldn't understand what this kid's plan was but he could tell he had one. Ukon and Sakon understood, though. Ukon awed and Sakon laughed.

Ukon said, "How cute. Wanting to be proper about breaking hearts?" Kidomaru had backed off of Sasuke but the twins came in close and trapped Sasuke in. Sakon and Ukon looked hungrily at him.

Sakon replied, "No, Ukon. He wants to shout his name."

"Why would he want to do that?"

"I'm afraid we've frightened the new arrival. He doesn't know anyone here."

"He needs a name to scream out. Poor thing. I wonder what he thinks we will do to him." Ukon tried to stroke Sasuke's cheek. Sasuke pulled away and started to shake. Sasuke's head reeled. What are they doing? Their voices were purring, the stroke was gentle, so what made everything so menacing? Why were they acting like this? Couldn't they just beat him up and get it over with?

"You've scared him, Ukon."

"I think we're both scaring him." They laughed. They enjoyed playing with people's heads and basking in the power their words gave them over others. Their laughs were hollow and taunting. Sasuke felt more alone than he had his entire life. There was no one to call, no one to care about what they did to him. But the laughing stopped.

Sakon arched his back in pain. Ukon and the others turned to see Naruto fly passed them to Sasuke's side. He shoved Sasuke off the bed and away from twins who gritted their teeth.

Sakon hissed, "You bastard. You'll pay."

Naruto glared. "They'll be coming in to see what that noise was."

"That'll give me enough time to ring your neck," Sakon growled.

"Actually, it won't." Naruto's eyes widened as he stared at the person at the door.

Sakon was surprised. "Kimimaru?" The pale boy, who looked too weak to be a threat to anyone, had command over the entire group.

Kidomaru's fists clenched, "Back off Kimimaru."

"I don't believe I told you to go after Naruto. In fact, I specifically remember telling you not to touch him."

Sakon replied, "He attacked us."

Kidomaru snapped, "You don't have to explain yourself to that weakling."

"Weakling?"

"You heard right."

"Let me make this perfectly clear for your small brain to comprehend. You are not to go near Naruto or his friends ever. Do you understand?"

Kidomaru walked up to him, "Actually, I've got a better idea, how about I put my fist in that pretty boy face of yours." Juugo grabbed Kidomaru's shirt before he could blink. Kimimaru put a hand on his arm and Juugo's grip started to loosen.

"Juugo, I don't want you getting in trouble over this. The caretakers will be up shortly and we wouldn't want to get mixed up in this." He turned to Kidomaru again. "You're out. Leave."

"No, you and your gorilla are out of the gang." Kidomaru spat. "No one here likes this brat. Why should we hold off delivering well-deserved punishment on your whim?"

"You touch him and we'll have problems."

"Oh, we already have them." They all heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Kidomaru turned to the group that was now his. "Let's split!" They ran out. Kimimaru and Juugo went over to check on Naruto and Sasuke.

Naruto was kneeling in front of Sasuke. Sasuke stared at the floor, completely conflicted. The events had brought Sasuke to the conclusion that he could not defend himself. He had felt so relieved when Naruto arrived but staying with Naruto would ensure that he would run into more problems like this.

Juugo kneeled next to Sasuke just as a caretaker came up. She asked, "Is everything alright? What was that thud I heard?"

Kimimaru said, "The new boy had a nightmare. He must have fell out of bed. We came to check too. But it seems that Naruto has things under control." Naruto nodded, still somewhat stunned that Kimimaru had defended him.

"Oh. Well, you two should be upstairs. Thank you for checking, though."

Kimimaru and Juugo got up and left with the caretaker. Kimimaru glanced back at Naruto and smiled, encouragingly. Naruto had known they were good and this proved it. He wished he could bask in the happy feeling they left in him but he had to take care of Sasuke.

"Sasuke?" Naruto put his head close to Sasuke's to try and meet his eyes.

Sasuke's eyes focused on the boy. "What's your name?" He murmured.

"What?"

"What's your name?" He whispered.

"Naruto." Sasuke looked completely terrified so Naruto put his arms around him.

This time, Sasuke clung tight. _"Those guys will come after me again, because of Naruto… but he cares enough to protect me."_ Sasuke felt all the mock strength he had built up that day crumble beneath him like rotten wood. _"I can't be alone anymore. I…"_ His tears soaked Naruto's shoulder. Sasuke cried until his arms slumped and his head drooped. As Naruto guided him to bed, he clasped onto Naruto's hand. Sasuke's world had fallen apart, but this hand steadied him. It guided him into a new, frightening world but with a sense of hope interlaced in its fingers.

**Hey! I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. Thank you for reading! Please post a review. I love reading them, and I remember your comments when I am writing. **

**Ughhh... this is a much delayed disclaimer (though it practically goes without saying). I do not own Naruto or any of the characters from the manga or anime. They are the right of Kishimoto, Viz Media, etc.**


	9. Chapter 9: Smile

**Hi, everyone! I know I've been MIA for a while. I'm sorry I left this story on hiatus. Hope you enjoy. 3**

Hashira walked in to see Sasuke curled up against Naruto, fast asleep. Naruto was looking at him with a worried expression.

"Naruto? Are you guys alright?"

Naruto looked up confused and unsure. "He fell out of bed then fell asleep."

Hashira came over and lifted Sasuke up onto the bed. Naruto tucked his knees up under his chin.

"Naruto, what happened?"

Naruto's words poured out of him trying to cheer Sasuke up by being nice, then Sasuke being mean, (he almost told her about Kidomaru but stuck with Kimimaru's story). "And then he asked me my name, then fell asleep crying. I don't know what to do, Hashira! How do I make him feel better?"

She contemplated the best advice. Comforting someone is not an easy task. There is no universal cure but how does one explain that to a child when they need an answer? "There isn't much you can do. Just be there for him. Be patient with him. Listen to him. The rest of the stuff will work out with time."

"But I never know what to say!"

"There isn't much you can say."

Naruto's eyes widened. "But…but there must be something!"

Hashira sighed. "Sasuke is very upset right now. He has lost his family. He is in a strange place, and probably scared out of his mind. Actions speak louder than words. Just being there, and comforting him when he needs it will mean much more than anything you could say."

"Really?" Naruto seemed skeptical.

"Really."

He still felt helpless, though. He wrapped his arms around Hashira's waist and laid his head on her lap. She put a hand on his head, which helped to ease his worries.

"See? Helps, doesn't it?" She said.

"You mean this?" Naruto was surprised. He hadn't even realized how much the small gesture had helped. "I thought that was something only you could do!"

"No. I am not the only one. A simple gesture, like holding his hand, can be comforting."

Naruto felt relieved. "He was afraid of my hug, but he still held my hand when we went upstairs last night. I hope it helped."

"I'm sure it did."

Naruto nuzzled her side.

"I'm going to go back into the nursery. Would you like to join me and see Inari?"

As nice as that sounded, Naruto shook his head and sat up. "I want to stay with Sasuke. I don't want him to be alone when he wakes up."

"Okay." Hashira smoothed his hair and kissed his forehead. "I'll see you at dinner." She thought as she walked out the door, _"He is really compassionate. Maybe Sasuke will help to bring him out of his shell."_

"Tell Inari I'll see him later."

"I will."

When Sasuke awoke, he found himself on the bed, dusk was darkening the room and alone.

"Naruto?"

Naruto poked his head up at the side of the bed. "I'm right here, Sasuke."

He looked relieved. "What are you doing?"

"Drawing."

Sasuke peeked over the side to see the brightly colored drawings. There were pictures of Naruto as some kind of superhero, but one stuck out, the one Naruto was working on. It had him with a woman, a brown-haired boy who was taller than him, and a little baby.

"What's that?" Sasuke pointed.

"It's a picture of my family." Naruto answered proudly.

"Is that your mom?" He pointed to the woman.

"No, that's Hashira. She takes care of us."

"Where is your mom?" Sasuke asked.

"In heaven."

A question had been nagging at Sasuke ever since he arrived. How could kids here smile and play if their parents had died? "Then why are you smiling in the picture?"

"Because my mom smiles when I smile. Sometimes I'm sad when I think of her, but if I never smiled she would be one of those crying angels, and I don't want that."

Sasuke couldn't imagine being happy again. It didn't feel right. So, he guessed that would make his mom a weeping angel, which only made him feel worse. Sasuke looked at the picture again. "Who're they?" He pointed to the boy and the baby.

"That's my older brother, Iruka. And that's my little brother, Inari."

"Older…brother?" Sasuke's brain was rustling, like it was recovering lost information."

"Yeah. Iruka got adopted, but he still comes to see me sometimes. And he calls me a lot."

"My brother… Itachi… I forgot about Itachi!"

"What?"

Sasuke threw the covers off his bed. "I have to find out about Itachi!"

Naruto remembered something about him having an older brother. "Let's go ask Hashira. She's in the nursery, I think. Then you can meet Inari, too."

Sasuke pulled Naruto up. "Come on!" It was the first time Naruto saw Sasuke smile. It made his whole face seem nicer, gentler. He seemed less like a porcelain doll now and more like a boy, who got rosy cheeks when he ran and sang when he liked a song. There was a boy like him under all that sadness. He ran with Sasuke, guiding him to the nursery.

When they arrived, Hashira was feeding one of the baby girls.

"Hashira!" Naruto cried.

"Shhh! Naruto! Some of them are still asleep."

Naruto quieted. "Ooops. Sorry." She handed the baby to another caretaker and came out into the hallway.

"What's all the excitement?"

"Sasuke wanted to ask you something."

Sasuke blurted out, "When's my brother coming? Is he alive?"

Hashira nodded. "He should be here within the week."

Sasuke smiled but then tears streamed down his face.

"Sasuke, it's alright." Hashira said.

But Sasuke crumpled to the floor and drew his knees up to hide his face. Hashira reached her hand out but Naruto got to him first. He put an arm around Sasuke.

"It's okay, Hashira. I got him."

Hashira's heart ached. Naruto's heart seemed to grow bigger everyday. She nodded, "I'll be in here if you need me." She went back in the nursery and closed the door.

"Sasuke, are you crying cause you're happy?"

"I…I forgot about my brother. The only person I have left, and I forgot him."

"Well, sometimes when the world seems its saddest, you forget that there's anything good left. Like you're stuck in the dark forever."

Sasuke sniffled and lifted his head.

"Do you think I made my mom smile, just now?"

"Yeah, and she'll smile even bigger when your brother gets here."

Sasuke wiped his tears away and smiled again.


End file.
